On Oct. 17 in the Schwartz auditorium, Student Activities hosted A Cappella Night, an evening meant to showcase some of Brandeis' most talented a cappella groups. The four groups that performed that night were Up the Octave, Voices of Soul, Too Cheap for Intruments and VoiceMale. Before the show started, the a cappella groups warmed up while students poured into the nearly full auditorium. "People singing, fun time night" was written on the blackboard, indicating the casual nature of the show. However, the calm yet eager attitude of the students implied that most of the audience had a strong interest in a cappella.

Up the Octave opened up the show with "Anywhere You Go" by the 1990s rock band the Gin Blossoms, which featured soloist Saumya Sankaran '09. "Breathe," originally by Michelle Branch, showcased another notable soloist, Ariella Newberger '09. And, though the lovely group of 10 women had a soft sound, their hand and body motions were integral in helping to propel their music forward.

Voices of Soul, which came up next, displayed its energetic sound with selections such as "You Gotta Be" by Des'Ree and "No Diggity" by Blackstreet, which featured lively beatboxing and rap. The group also brought out their personality with bright singing and dancing. "No One" by Alicia Keys was particularly strong, as indicated by the cheers and applause bestowed upon the group by the audience following their performance of this particular title.

The unique all-female group Too Cheap for Instruments performed folk titles like "Hunter" by Dido and "The MTA Song," a piece about Boston transportation by the Kingston Trio. All seven performers wore colorful sashes and new member Jordan Hinahara '12 donned a cowboy hat for the purpose of acting out "The Window Washing Cowboy." The group featured well-rehearsed harmonies complimented by a quirky sound.

The first three a cappella groups were phenomenal, but the students became most excited when the last group, VoiceMale, began their performance. The company began with "Falling Over You" by Rockappella and the group's sound filled the auditorium with its strong harmonies, beatboxing and solos. Soloist for Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night" Adam Levine '11 surprised many by jumping down from the stage to sing and woo a particularly lucky female student. VoiceMale's "Where You Are" by Marc Broussard, "Two Thousand Years" by Billy Joel and "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King were also impressively performed.

Chase Hiller '12, one of the new members of the group, said regarding his experience with VoiceMale that he "wanted to be in a group [that he could] be close with," the freshman remarked, "so VoiceMale has been a very rewarding experience." However, being in a competitive a cappella group poses challenges, including "memorizing obscure background lyrics." However, Chase was still ecstatic to be in the group's first official concert with a large turnout.

Brandeis is known for its many talented a cappella groups, and any student who does not attend events like A Cappella Night is missing out on seeing great singers perform together. It is not too late to get involved in the a cappella circuit, either; there are several a cappella events coming up, such as the Castle Coffeehouse at Chum's on Nov. 24.